Your Garage Floor: What’s the Right Option for Your Space? | Custom Storage Solutions

When you were building or buying your home, you probably put a lot of thought into what type of flooring you wanted. Perhaps you deliberated over several types of tile for the kitchen, debated the virtues of hardwood vs. carpet for the living room, and spent hours looking at area rugs for the bedrooms. One place in the house that you might not have even considered upgrading the flooring is the garage. Most people decide on regular concrete floors in the garage, and only choose to look into something different if there’s a problem or they become very stained or cracked.

Whether or not your garage floor is to that point, there are several options that you can look into for this space. If you are renovating your garage, that makes it the perfect time to put in new flooring; everything will be off of the floor, so you might as well take advantage of the opportunity. Or maybe you are just ready to move along to the next item on your long list of home improvements, and the garage flooring is there in the #1 spot. No matter what your situation, here are some options to consider when upgrading your garage floors.

If your concrete is still in good shape and you don’t have a lot of money to put into new flooring, a new paint job and/or resealing can do wonders. Before you do this, some prep-work is in order. First, treat any greasy areas. You can pour clean kitty litter or sawdust on any spots of oil or grease, and leave them there overnight, or longer, if desired. Next, sweep the garage floor well, then treat any stains. You can scrub with powdered dishwasher detergent, then rinse well. Finally, use a pressure washer to clean the entire floor and let it dry. If the floor has been previously sealed, you’ll need to etch it to give the paint a surface to stick to. Then you’ll need to prime it with floor primer or an epoxy coating, then, finally, you can paint (or skip the priming and just reseal).

If you’re happy with the concrete floor or you want to try some stamped concrete, you can have a new floor poured. This starts you over with a “fresh slate.” A professional needs to do the pouring (and, if you are choosing stamped concrete, the stamping). Make sure that a drain is placed somewhere in the garage (at the lowest point or points) so your floors stay nice and dry, even when you drive onto them with wet tires. Also, decide on how you want the floor treated, whether that means sealing or painting, to keep it in good condition for years to come.

That “showroom shine” you see at auto dealerships is an epoxy floor coating that many homeowners choose to have put in their garages. The good things about epoxy garage floors is that they are stain-resistant, fade-resistant and, perhaps most important in a garage, slip-resistant. Even if it’s wet, it won’t be slippery, which makes the flooring safe for you, your family members and even your pets. You can put down an epoxy floor coating yourself, but it will probably be more even and look (and adhere) better if you rely on the pros to do it. Coatings come in different colors and textures, so you generally have a choice.

Interlocking tiles are a great way to replace flooring and customize your garage. Because you can choose different colors in the tiles, you can easily create stripes, a checkerboard pattern, or different-colored sections for different parts of the garage. Some people even decide to go with a sports theme or create a favorite motif on the floor of the garage. Your imagination is the limit here! The tiles themselves come in harder plastic and softer plastic; your garage renovation company will help you decide which is best, based on how you are using the space.

A good DIY option that is not as labor-intensive as painting or resealing is to lay down rubber floor mats. All you need to do is unroll the mats, trim to fit, and adhere them to the floor. Even better, you can take them with you when you move. The only caveat here is that the rubber mats are not as strong as other types of flooring and can be damaged by spilling certain chemicals on them.

Many people are turning their garages into a man cave, rec room, den or other living space. If this is the case for you, you might want to put “indoor” flooring in the space. The main issue here is that the garage might be moister than the rest of the house. You will probably need to put down a vapor barrier before proceeding with the flooring. Whether or not you do the work yourself, consulting with a professional can help you make the right decisions for treating the concrete floor and choosing the right type of flooring for your intended use.

Choosing new flooring for your garage can seem overwhelming, but once you decide how you are using the space and what your budget is, you can then think about which of the appropriate options would be best for your particular circumstances. Several of these options can be done by relatively handy homeowners; others will require the services of a professional. For a free consultation and to find out more about your options, you can call Custom Storage Solutions. We help people by customizing garages, including garage floors, for increased storage space and better organization. Call us today to schedule your free in-home appointment.